Apparatus for dampening collars and cuffs.



No. 669,032. Patented Feb. 2 6, I90I. F. H. HARRIMAN'. APPARATUS FORDAMPENING COLLABS AND CUFFS {Sheets Sheet l.

(Application filed Aug. 31" 1900.) (No Model.)

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No. 669,032. Patented Feb. 26, I90l.

' F. H. HARRIMAN.

APPARATUS FOR DAMPENING COLLABS AND GUFFS. (Afiplication filed Aug. 31,1900. (No Model.) 2 Sh aatsShaat 2.

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FRANK H. HARRIMAN, OF MAYNARD, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR DAM PENING COLLARS AND CUFFS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,032, dated February26, 1901.

Application filed August 31,1900. Serial No. 28,685. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK H. HARRIMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Maynard, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, haveinvented an Improvementin Apparatus for Dampening Collars and Cuffs, ofwhich the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawingsrepresenting like parts.

This invention relates to apparatus of the type forming thesubject-matter of United States Patent No. 615,983, granted to meDecember 13, 1898, wherein an apparatus is shown and described forproperly and evenly dampening articles preparatory to ironing,particularly collars and cuffs, the object being to so dampen thearticles that a spotted or uneven surface would be prevented in thefinished article.

My present invention has for its object the improvement in variousparticulars of the apparatus referred to, whereby certain practicalobjections have been obviated or overcome.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a dampening-machine embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a detail in side elevation of the gearing fordriving the lower set of pressure-rolls. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectionalview of the machine, taken on the line w m, Fig. 1, looking toward theleft. Fig. 4 is a perspective detail of a portion of the device formaintaining the lower belt straight during its travel, and Fig. 5 is aperspective detail showing one of the bearing-blocks in which the upperpressure-rolls are mounted and also showing some of the adjacent partsof the apparatus.

The main frame A, of suitable shape and provided with bearings for theoperative parts of the apparatus, has mounted therein a main shaft B,provided with suitable fast andloose pulleys B B driven by a belt, (notshown,) and a sprocket-gear B is made fast on the shaft outside theframe. A roll B is loosely mounted on the shaft B between the sides ofthe frame for a purpose to be described. At the front of the frame, nearits top, a series of like pressure-rolls cl e fare mounted in fixedbearings A, a sprocket-wheel d being secured to the journal of the rollcl, as herein shown, outside of the frame, and a pinion d is alsosecured to said journal in mesh with an intermediate pinion a, loose onthe journal of the roll 6, the intermediate pinion in turn meshing witha pinion f, rotatable with the roll f, so that the rolls d and f will bepositively rotated in the direction of arrow 5, Fig. 3. The frame isprovided at each side with an open guideway A for bearing-blocks Acarrying three upper pressure-rolls d e f located above the three rolls01 cf, the upper rolls being suspended by the bearingblocks A Uprightguide-rods a, fixed in the bearing members A, extend loosely through theblocks A and through bosses a thereon and have shoulders a on whichrests a substantially Lj-shaped stand A, held in place by nuts (1screwed onto the threaded upper ends of the guide-rods. (See Figs. 3 and5.) A threaded adj usting-rod a rigidly secured to the block A passesloosely through the stand A and is provided with check-nuts 3 4, so thatby turning them in the proper direction the block A and the upperpressurerolls suspended thereby can be raised or lowered to adjust thedistance between the upper and lower rolls and regulate the pressure,the upper rolls being driven by frictional engagement, aswillhereinafterappear. These pressure-rolls are made of rubber or othersuitable moisture-repellent yielding material, and I have herein showntwo endless belts or aprons P P, passed around and between the twoseries of rolls, the aprons at such time being in parallelism and inclose proximity, one superposed upon the other and normally in contact.The aprons are preferably made of Russian crash,orany other suitablematerial may be used which will carry the proper amount of moisture.

A wringer-roll g, having fast on its shaft a sprocket-wheel G, ismounted in the frame at the back (see Fig. 3) and has rotatabletherewith a pinion g, which meshes with a like pinion h on an adjacentwringer-roll h, the rolls g It being mounted in fixed bearings in theframe, and above these rolls cooperating rolls g h are mounted inbearing-blocks I-I, vertically movable in guideways in the main frame, atransverse leaf-spring S extending across the machine and bearing at itsends on the blocks, one at each side of the frame, in the ordinarymanner.

A cross-bar H, mounted on upright guiderods W, is provided substantiallymidway between its ends with a threaded bolt h which at its lower endbears on the spring S to regulate the pressure between the upper andlower wringer-rolls, the two aprons passing between the rolls 9 72 injuxtaposition, thereafter separating, the apron P passing between therolls h h, while the apron P passes between the rolls g g, as clearlyshown in Fig. 3.

A sprocketchain B passes around the sprocket-wheels d G and thesprocket-gear B by which latter it is driven, the wheels d G being ofthe same diameter, so that the pressure and wringer rolls are driven atthe same speed, and the chain also passes over a tension-gear E thejournals of which are adjustably mounted in supports b one of which isshown in Fig. 3, whereby the chain can be kept properly taut, eachsupport being vertically slotted to receive the journal, which ismaintained in vertically-adjusted position by a bolt and Washer inwell-known manner.

The apron P passes from between the pressure-rolls down around twoguide-rolls 6 7, up over the loose roll B descending thence around aroll to in a tank W containing water, and up through the wringer-rolls,as described, then around guide-rolls 8 9 beneath, preferably, a tensionroll T, up around a guide-roll 10, and past a device, to be described,for maintaining the path of the apron straight to the pressure-rolls.The apron P after leaving the pressure-rolls is led up over .aguide-roll 60, then toward the back of the machine over a secondguide-roll 70, down into the tank W beneath a roll w, immersed in thewater, and up between the wringer-rolls g h, then around a guide-rolland preferably a tension-roll T over a straighteningroll to thepressure-rolls, the two aprons separating at a very obtuse angle as theypass from between the pressure-rolls, so that the collars or cuffs maynot cling to either apron.

In my present invention it will be manifest that both aprons are wet bypassing through the water in the tank W and, Viewing Fig. 3, they travelin contact, or substantially so, up to the wringer rolls g h, whichlatter squeeze out the surplus moisture and evenly dampen both aprons,the latter being thereafter subjected separately to a second squeezingby the rolls h g the latter being so adjusted that when the aprons passthem there will be no accumulation of water,which would render thedampening irregular.

The tension-rolls T T act upon the aprons as they approach thepressure-rolls, maintaining them smooth and taut as they come togetherand pass between the upper and lower pressure-rolls.

The roll T is mounted in armst on a rock- 'shaft t, journaled in'theframe and having a weighted arm 1?, as shown in Fig. 3, while the roll Tis mounted in arms i and acts by its own weight to put sufficienttension upon the apron P.

A discharge-chute O is secured to the frame, one side 0 being locatedadjacent the downwardly-moving part of the apron P as it leaves thepressure-rolls, the edge 0 acting as a clearer to remove from the apronany of the dampened articles which may stick to it.

A transverse shelf A secured to the frame in front of thepressure-rolls, supports the articles as they are fed in between theaprons,and in order that the articles may enter in a flattenedcondition, thus preventing crumpling and uneven dampening, I haveprovided a wide throat a of sufficient height to admit the article whenflat, the throat being formed by top and bottom pieces a a inparallelism and located just in front of the pressure-rolls, the bottompiece extending toward the front of the machine beyond the top piece.The throat acts to spread or flatten the collars and cuffs as theoperator passes them therethrough,so that when they are carried throughthe pressure-rolls they will be spread out flat between thejuxtaposedportions of the aprons, the articles being quickly and evenly dampenedby contact with the aprons under the requisite amount of pressure.

From the foregoing it will be remembered that the upper set ofpressure-rolls is sus pended in the bearing-blocks A so that the weightof these rolls does not act upon and is not supported by the lowerrolls, and I thereby prevent the collection of a thin film of water infront of the first pair of rolls, the presence of such water acting tounevenly damp the work, and in some instances wetting it.

The upper rolls are adjusted so that when an article passes through justthe right pressure is attained; but when the aprons are running freethere will be practically no pressure thereon due to the upper set ofrolls.

In the patented machine referred to I have found in actual practice thatthe aprons at times work from side to side, permitting moisture tocollect at the edges, so that such portions become too wet and thearticles cannot always be dampened properly and uniformly, and in orderto obviate or prevent this I have herein provided means forstraightening the aprons or adjusting them laterally, so that they willtravel in straight paths and be properly suspended one upon the other.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, a cross-girth A of the frame below thepressure-rolls has pivotally mounted thereon by a stud m a transverseyoke m, the ends of which are inturned to form bearing-ears 'm for aguide-roll M, which bears against the outer face of the apron P betweenthe'guide-roll 10, mounted in fixed bearings, and the pressure-rolls.The outer end of the stud m is rigidly secured to an arm m havingpivotally mounted at its free end on a stud m a block m A bracket m issecured to the main frame A, below and at the right hand of the shelf Ahaving a threaded bearing m for a screw-shaft m", which at its lower endis connected with the block m, and by means of a hand-wheel m the shaftis turned to raise or lower the arm m and thereby tilt the yoke m, whichis secured to the stud m by a set-screw 35. Such tilting of the yoke androll M will cause the apron P to move laterally to one or the otherside, according to the manner in which the roll is tilted. A verysimilar device is provided for the apron P, comprising a guide-roll N,mounted in upturned ears n of a yoke n, pivoted at non the ]-shapedstand A, (see Figs. 1 and 3,) said stand having a bearinglug 02 (seedotted lines) for a screw-shaft 01 connected at its inner end with theadjacent end of the yoke 11, so that by turning the handwheel n in oneor the other direction the position of the roll N relative to the travelof the apron P will be changed and the latter will be moved to one orthe other side, as may be necessary. Thus the attendant can at all timesmaintain the aprons in proper relative position, the adjusting devicesbeing located near each other and convenient for manipulation, as may berequired.

It will be understood that the arrangement by which the aprons P P areseparated widely upon leaving the pressure-rolls (see Fig. 3) insuresthe discharge of the goods at once, the bending of the aprons over therolls facilitating this, and the machine is not hampered, therefore, inits operation by any tendency of the goods to cling to the aprons and becarried around into conflict with other parts.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to obtainby Letters Patent, is-

1. In an apparatusof the class described, two traveling aprons moving inparallelism and in close proximity to each other for a portion of theirlength, to receive between them thereat the article to be dampened, twoseries of pressure-rolls between which the aprons pass at their saidproximate, parallel portions, means to positively suspend the upperseries of rolls, and means located at a distance from the pressure-rollsto separately and adjust ably dampen each of the aprons to apredetermined degree.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, two traveling aprons movingin parallelism and in close proximity to each other for a portion oftheir length to receive between them thereat the article to be dampened,means to wet both of said aprons, ata point remote from the parallelportions of the aprons, wringerrolls for each apron, and between whichthe latter pass to remove surplus moisture and make the dampeninguniform ,a series of lower pressure-rolls over which the aprons travelat their proximate portions, a cooperating series of suspended idleupper rolls, and means to positively drive only the lower series ofrolls.

3. In an apparatus of thevclass described, pressure-rolls, two separatetraveling aprons adapted to pass between the rolls and to dampenarticles inserted therebetween, means to dampen the aprons, and separatemeans to maintain the aprons accurately superposed one upon the other asthey pass between the pressure-rolls, each of said means comprising ayoke, a smooth guide member mounted therein and over which the apronpasses, a rock-shaft to which the yoke is secured at its center, arockerarm on the shaft, and a screwshaft operatively connected with therockerarm, rotation of the screw-shaft tilting the yoke on its fulcrumto move the adjacent apron laterally.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, pressure-rolls, two separatetraveling aprons adapted to pass between the rolls, and to dampenarticles inserted therebetween, and means to dampen the aprons, saidmeans including a water-tank, separate submerged rolls around which theaprons pass to be wet, two pairs of wringer-rolls, one apron passingbetween each pair to accurately and equally dampen each apron, and meansto simultaneously regulate the pressure of said pairs of wringer-rolls.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, two separate traveling apronsadapted to pass between pressure-rolls and to dampen the articlesinserted therebetween, means to dampen the aprons at a point distantfrom said rolls, upper and lower pressure-rolls between which the apronspass at their proximate portions, fixed bearings for the lower rolls,vertically-adjustable bearings for and in which the upper rolls aresuspended, and means to positively drive only the lower rolls.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK H. HARRIMAN.

Witnesses:

ALEXANDER O. PROUDFIT, AUGUSTA E. DEAN.

